Seduction of Power
by Marcus Gaudry
Summary: A '7 Pillars' story. As the influence of the Tremere Founder continues to overshadow Tabetha's will, it becomes more and more apparent that the power which comes with this possession is something she is reluctant to let go of; regardless of the cost. Based on continuity established in VTMB 10 years later.
1. Chapter 1

Tabetha Toussaint came to her senses just in time to watch her mentor turn to ash and crumble into a pile on his parlor floor in her arms. Even as he disintegrated before her eyes, she could feel his essence – his power – course its way through her veins; it was nothing she had ever felt in either of her lifetimes.

 _My god, what have I done?_

 ** _I think you know..._**

 _I don't remember anything..._

Except that was a lie; and both streams of consciousness that she seemed to be maintaining knew it. What he knew she knew and what she knew he knew. Internally, she admonished herself for thinking in terms that smacked of lunacy that was on par with a Malkavian, and privately wondered if what Marko referred to as the Network had anything to do with her sometimes erratic and disorderly thought patterns lately.

 ** _That does not matter; not anymore._**

He was right, of course. The Founder seemed to always be right, and that was who had been commandeering her mind and body with greater and greater frequency ever since that night she encountered the Dark Driver. At first she was worried that he intended to devour her; but now she knew that wasn't the case. Nor was this a virus; if it was anything, it was a gift. For whatever reason the Founder had, he had chosen her for this, whatever it was. If only she could find a way to reverse who was in control, and make his power hers...

What had happened was this:

Two nights ago, Marko came by the Chantry, wanting to speak to Master Strauss; he was not back from his appointment with the Pontifex yet. Rather, he was in transit on his way back. Given this meant he was still quite some distance away, chances were good he would not be back for at least another night. She told the Malkavian this, and asked if there was something she could help him with. Marko 'and his voices' politely declined. Insisting he needed to see the Regent. Tabetha reasoned it had to be about her. She opted to let Marko wander off rather than pressure him into talking; lately it was like he was avoiding her whenever possible. She couldn't really blame him if he was. His madness aside, he had been a good friend and she nearly killed him that one time, and now may very well have made his condition even worse than it already was.

He had come back just last night. Strauss had returned, and he immediately sent her off on an obvious make-work errand of seeing to it his escorts made it safely back to the airport. What a joke of a task that was! She was Primogen, for god's sake! Why couldn't he send his new little butt boy assistant harpy? Why did his escorts need an escort anyway? For that matter, why did he need an escort? To be fair, he probably had to go over Harpy matters with butt boy, so that was fair. Still, who the hell did he think he was, sending _me_ to something so mundane? **_How dare he attempt to brush ME off like that?_**

Tabetha remembered catching herself and checking her- or his – ego at the door. It was a mindless task, and probably unnecessary, but that is what he wanted. Or maybe it wasn't. Maybe he was following orders. Was that it? If so, then whose orders was he following? **_Who would dare conspire against_** **_me like this?_**

In any event, by the time she got back, Marko had obviously been and gone; she could detect his presence all over the parlor. She had asked Master Strauss what his visit was about.

Strauss began by complimenting her on her advanced awareness, and encouraged her to keep that up. The he vaguely explained the Malkavian was inquiring about any further discoveries the condition she and he evidently shared. He was obviously hiding something; but Tabetha didn't need to ask what. Somehow she knew that Marko was trying to learn some of the deeper secrets of House and Clan Tremere; just as she knew that Max had kept his mouth shut on such matters. She knew that Max kept changing the subject back to their condition, so he wasn't exactly lying to her.

"He's been avoiding me, you know," she told him. "He hides it well, but I think he might be afraid of me or something."

"Not at all, my apprentice," Strauss had replied. "If anything, it would be more accurate to say he is afraid for you."

What that was supposed to mean she had no idea.

And now she had the events of tonight which led up to this exact situation she was in right now.

She had awoken tonight from a nightmare. In it, she was in the chamber where she saw the cocoon; only this time she was alone. The Seven were gone; it was just her and it. The Founder – albeit a different form of him – was inside the cocoon; she could hear him calling her, although it was more like she could feel him calling her. She stepped cautiously closer as it began first to pulsate, and then crack. The process began very slowly, and then started to accelerate. As the shell of the cocoon began to splinter, she looked at her own hands and saw that they were beginning ball up into fists and she was sweating some kind of ink substance; much like what the cocoon was made of. She tried open her fists, but the ink was getting to be more like a glue, and it was hardening. The glue began to spread up her arms as the cocoon finally broke enough for a large white worm to begin to squirm its way out. The glue then rapidly overtook her entire body, leaving only her face exposed when the worm spoke or rather thought at her in a language she didn't understand. Whatever it said was said in one short phrase, and then the glue crowded over her face and all was black until she woke up.

Instinctively she looked at her hands frantically upon opening her eyes. It was incredibly brief, but she was sure she saw the black ink-glue sink back into her pores. That had to be just a remnant of the dream, she hoped.

After quickly selecting tonight's outfit she exited her quarters and located Master Strauss in his parlor. She entered the parlor, intent on telling him her dream. Then everything went blank.

And now she was standing alone in the parlor; the ashes of Master Strauss at her feet, and his essence in her veins. Though she had no idea how it happened – and that much was true – there was no way she could convince herself she didn't know what she had done. She had committed the worst crime of all among the Kindred.

She had committed Diablerie.


	2. Chapter 2

There was no way around the fact; she even tried to justify the act as not really being her own. She tried to convince herself she was not in control; to tell herself she was possessed and therefore not culpable for the deed. While all of this was true, and may even hold up in trial if it came to that, it didn't change the real truth of the matter. The deed was done, and it was her who now had to deal with the consequences.

 ** _And reap the benefits_** of that deed. Whether she wanted it or not, whether she liked it or not, that was the reality that Tabetha was living in now. If she was going to be truly honest, the benefits seemed at least worth the risks; her thoughts seemed clearer, purer. She felt even stronger than she had before. It was simply a matter of avoiding getting caught. Now was not the time to start to panic. She would have to cover her tracks.

The first thing, even before worrying about the taint on her soul, was finding a way to explain the absence of Strauss. That would be no easy task; he was the Regent of the Chantry and Harpy of the city after all. He would be missed, and soon. As for the taint, it was entirely possible that nobody would even think to look; save possibly for Marko. His 'Network' might prompt him, especially since he knew for certain that Strauss had returned to Los Angeles. Also his escorts from the Pontifex would know, though they didn't really matter much. As far as local Tremere and other Kindred were concerned, she could make up some story or another about his absence; perhaps that he was called back to Vienna. Such an account might even escape the notice of the Pontifex for awhile. Then of course there would be the Seven to answer for; that would prove to be an obstacle.

 ** _Wait, child..._**

Tabetha's train of thought was momentarily derailed; that was the first time she remembered the Founder's words being distinctly separate from her thoughts. She'd had thoughts that were really his, but not so distinctly separate. It was as if she could actually _feel_ him leaving her conscious. The feeling was terribly unpleasant; it left her disoriented, confused, uncertain...

 _Where are you? What are you doing? Why have you done this to me?_

There was no response. He was just gone.

Going back to an old trick from her mortal days, Tabetha took a deep breath. Then she took another. Back when she was mortal, she sometimes had anxiety attacks; what she was feeling now was similar to that, so maybe regulated breathing would help now as it did then. It was worth a try...

Breathe in; counting to four...  
Hold it; counting to four...  
Breathe out; counting to four...  
Hold it; counting to four...

Slowly but surely, her thoughts became clearer, more ordered. Little bit by little bit, her focus came back. She wasn't sure how long she kept up the breathing pattern, but it was working; since she no longer required oxygen, she was certain it had more to do with the pattern itself. It was the whole systemizing and organizing it encouraged that was allowing her to center her sense of self and her place in the Universe. This was a trick she learned not from any shrink or doctor, but from a professor in a night course she took in esoteric sciences. As she reflected on her life from then to when she came to Los Angeles to when she met her sire to now, it started to become clear that were no accidents in any of it, all of it happened for a reason.

In her mind, she could hear applause; the Founder had returned to her. Not just the Founder, there were others.

 ** _Well done, child! Now you begin to understand why I have chosen you. Long before your embrace, I knew you were the right for this part of our destiny._**

 _Your plan to cover your tracks regarding the traitor Strauss will suffice._

 _Strauss was a traitor? How can that be? He was nothing but loyal to the Clan..._

 ** _He had betrayed ME! He was taking steps to try to stop me from fulfilling my new plan for all our kind!_**

 _You will be named acting Regent of Los Angeles until a more appropriate candidate can be appointed._

 _Your role is much more important than that._

 _What is my role? What is this plan, this new vision you are speaking of?_

And then the Founder told her everything, including the part Marko was to play; that was, if he actually cooperated. She had to point out the Malkavian was unpredictable. Still, she trusted the Founder and the Seven more than ever now, and they were certain she could handle Mark Oxford and his Network if given the right tools for the job.

For the first time in a long time, Tabetha Toussaint cracked a smile.


	3. Chapter 3

"Good evening, gentlemen" Tabetha greeted the 5 other Tremere in city, pausing to nod specifically to butt-boy and then the only other female in the room. "And lady, of course; I am glad you could all come on such short notice." It came to her realization that minus Max, there were six of them; Strauss would have made seven. The number seven shows up a lot, she noted. That and the number twelve- both of those are such very powerful numbers with a great many mystical properties...

"As I am sure you aware by now, our Regent and Harpy Maximillian Strauss has been recalled to Vienna. I have been contacted on this matter directly from the Seven, and they have advised that I am to act as Regent until a more suitable replacement can be assigned to our Chantry. In the role of acting Regent, I shall retain my position as Primogen, unless anyone objects, of course."

So far, all were silent. She was following the script that the Founder had laid out for her, and so far it was working perfectly.

"Not an objection, per say," butt boy – Rutger, his name was – spoke up. "More of an inquiry, really; is there any chance that Master Strauss will be returning?"

Tabetha smiled thinly and scanned the others before settling her gaze on Rutger. She took no small amount of pleasure in realizing that all of them shuffled a half step backwards as her gaze passed them by.

"That is a fair question Rutger, and one I would have asked myself if I were your age." This comment felt like she was pushing it a little, but the Founder assured her it would be fine. Rutger was the youngest apprentice in the room; handpicked and groomed by Strauss himself to be embraced by Cassandra. This took place about five years ago. "Normally, when one is recalled in the manner that Maximillian was, it is unlikely he will ever be seen again, I am saddened to have to tell you."

"I don't understand." Rutger said. "Why was he recalled?"

Tabetha offered him a wan smile; the butt-boy was getting to be an annoyance, and his line of questioning was not only starting to get tiresome but could prove problematic before much longer. To deal with this, she didn't really need advice from the Founder; the solution was obvious.

"The Seven did not get into specifics, Rutger." She said icily. "Apparently there were certain...inconsistencies found in regards to his review with the Pontifex. I was advised that Maximillian agreed to return to Vienna in order to prevent the necessity for the Seven to send in an Astor." She opted to leave her statement stand there; the implicit language evidently captured by all in the room. Rutger and Strauss were getting quite close, and the possibility that the former Regent was a traitor would make Rutger a suspect of the same if he pressed any further.

"Are there any more questions?" She asked. "If not, then I have said all I need to for the moment, and I will keep each of you up to date if there are any more developments."

One by one, the Tremere began to file out to go about their affairs. All had departed except for Rutger. He waited until everyone was gone except for Tabetha and himself.

"Actually, acting Regent, I do have one more question." He said. "This is not about any Clan matter; I wouldn't question the wisdom of any decision made by the Seven. My concern is in regards to my Court position. With Master Strauss gone, LA is without a Harpy proper. Do I get promoted, or will my age and lack of experience be an issue?"

That was actually a good question. So far, it would appear that there would be no trouble; but with Therese in Praxis, such things could be unpredictable to say the least. Yes, she accepted Cameron as Seneschal and he was around the same age as the rest of what the Kindred population had taken to calling 'the Super Seven' (there was the number seven again), but she suspected the Ventrue got the position by working some angle. It seemed unlikely that Rutger could have any angle of his own. Once again, Tabetha saw an opportunity here; one she picked out unassisted.

"The very fact you are asking that suggests a modicum of doubt in your own abilities, Rutger." She pointed out. "While I commend your sense of order, this apparent lack of confidence is bothersome. I'll tell you what; I will confer with the Seneschal and Her Highness and recommend you retain your role as assistant Harpy under a new appointee. Will that be suitable?"

After a brief moment of considering his options, Rutger nodded once sharply. He turned to leave.

"I have one more thing, assistant Harpy." She called. Rutger stopped and turned slowly back to face her. "This Chantry has seen enough turmoil in recent nights. Therefore for the low cost of a minor boon I offer to inform the Seven that your apparent closeness with Strauss is purely coincidental; that he was using you as a pawn which was ignorant to his schemes at worst. This will put you under no more scrutiny than any of us."

Rutger produced the small red leather booklet that served as his ledger and scribbled the exchange into his records. No words were needed; his record of it was consent enough. "Am I dismissed, acting Regent?" he asked. Tabetha waved him off. He departed, perhaps a little too eagerly for her taste, but then he was likely terrified.

 ** _Well done, Child. I will have use for that very soon._**

"Thank you, Master." She said aloud without realizing it.

Now it was a matter of going to Cameron; which in many ways fit in with the Founder's grand plan. He wanted her to increase her influence over the Court; but not to take Praxis. This was a play for power, and true power is not in the seat of authority, but in the voice closest to the ear of the one seated in the throne. She had a pretty good idea whom the Ventrue would recommend offering the Harpy office to. Given the hour, she also had a very good idea where she could find him; Cameron the mighty Seneschal was getting predictable lately. Kindred or not, he was still male, and infatuated with that Toreador tramp dancer. He would probably be at Vesuvius watching her simulate some sex act and call it dancing.

 ** _Watch that one, child; there is more to her than you know. I can sense it._**


	4. Chapter 4

Tabetha was stopped by one of the rail thin pretty-boy attendants once she was just barely outside of the building. She thought it was the one the one at front door coat check, but she couldn`t be sure; they all looked the same to her. As annoying as she found these frail little daisy-boys, she did her best to be pleasant to them; they were, after all, in the employ of the Keeper of Elysium and VV was an important pawn in the Plan- whether she knew it or not. She turned and started back towards the entrance, smiling.

"Is there something I can help you with?" She asked the coat boy.

"Well..." he stammered. "Miss Velour said she needed to speak to you, Miss Toussaint. She told me to ask you to come to her private room. It's..."

"I know the way." Tabetha said sharply but not cruelly. "Thank you...I'm sorry, I don't believe I caught your name..."

"It's David, ma'am."

"Thank you, David." Tabetha finished. She then entered the building and headed straight towards the back room where VV attended to her private guests. Based on the way some of the clientele turned their heads and leered at her as she passed, she was willing to guess they believed she was auditioning for a spot on the roster. Some of the comments confirmed her guess.

"I'd come to see that... a little too skinny... gothic fantasy... duet with Kaila..." It was nauseating. Climbing the steps, she flipped the audience the bird over her shoulder before escaping their line of sight.

"Come in, Primogen." VV invited with that sultry moan of hers. "I see David caught up with you. I'm glad. I just wish it was under...better circumstances."

Tabetha came in and took a seat in a chair opposite the love seat that VV was sitting on; the Toreador was wearing next to nothing, as usual. "Good evening, Miss Velour. How may I be of assistance tonight?" She asked.

"Velvet" VV gently insisted. "I need to know...is it true? About Max, I mean. Was he really..." she paused and swallowed hard. Did she know what it meant when one the Clan was called back? "Was he really called back?"

"I'm afraid it is." Tabetha confirmed, adding much more remorse in her voice than she actually felt. She didn't need to ask how VV caught the news so quickly; either Cameron told Kaila who told her, or VV had more ears in her Elysium than anyone really knew. Either way it was no cause for alarm; that was all part of the Plan. "I sense that you might have an idea what that means."

"Yes" VV answered, her voice cracking ever so slightly. "I don't need to know the details. That is a matter for your Clan to...settle. It saddens me, though. You see, Max and I were close once...very close. This was before I met Isaac."

"My condolences" Tabetha offered.

"And mine to you" VV returned. "I'm sure it's hard on you, too...for different reasons."

"I think I'll manage." Tabetha said, lowering her eyes as if in grief. "It helps to focus on the tasks on hand with his sudden absence; somebody has to make sure there is no slack. It looks as if that responsibility is to be mine. I will be acting as Regent on a provisional basis."

"I'm sure you will do well. Will Rutger be taking over as Harpy, then?"

So far, this was going exactly as Tabetha hoped. Cameron's play to load the Court with his pawns was about to be foiled. She knew he would try to shut down her recommendation that VV double clutch and the offices of Keeper and Harpy be merged; she even knew why. Velvet was both popular and strong enough to challenge Therese for Praxis, and the merging of offices would likely be enough to prove it. She was expecting him to recommend Kaila, but then Bertram made sense too. Part of the Plan was to get the Toreador in Praxis, and then become that voice closest to her ear.

"Both the Seneschal and I agree that Rutger would be served if he retained his place as assistant Harpy." She said. "Cameron felt it would be wiser if someone more experienced in our ways took the Harpy office on. He suggested that Bertram Tung be offered the role, and after some deliberation, I said I would endorse the call."

"I see." VV said. It was hard to tell if she was disappointed or not. All the same, now was the time to bait the hook.

"May I tell you something in absolute confidence?"

VV hummed her consent.

"In my conversation with the Seneschal, I initially recommended you. There are a number of successful precedents in the merging of Harpy and Keeper. Also, I knew of your previous...relationship with Master...with Max, and thought it might be a way to honor his memory. You see, he may have come off as cold towards you in person and in public, but in private he was still quite fond of you."

VV smiled. "Thank you for that." She said. "You're very kind."

"As I'm sure you know," Tabetha continued, "even with an endorsement from the full Primogen Council, you could make a bid. You are well liked among the Kindred here in Los Angeles – even with several Nosferatu – and I'm sure the Prince herself would jump at the chance to have an alternative. It's no secret how Therese feels about the Nosferatu; Bertram in particular."

"That's true." Velvet admitted. Tabetha could see the wheels turning in her mind. Many others had a tendency to underestimate Miss Velvet Velour; they would dismiss her as a flighty airhead that wrote bad poetry. Doing so was a mistake; Tabetha suspected the poetry was part of a trap that VV set up years ago to make sure the others would underestimate her. She would have to be very careful and watch her very closely. Even if the Toreador did make a move as Tabetha anticipated she would, Tabetha would have to take every possible precaution that she made only the moves that would benefit the Plan. "I'll consider the notion long and hard."

"You are as wise as you are beautiful, Velvet." Tabetha said, ingratiating her host. She found over the years that flattery went a long way with the Keeper. "Was there anything else I could do for you tonight?"

"As a matter of fact...yes." VV responded. She slowly leaned forward and plucked a ring off the table between them. She examined it for a moment, and then nodded as she handed it over to Tabetha. "Max made this for me several years before you were turned. It is enchanted so that whoever wears it will be shielded from the sun's rays for up to one hour. I used to put it on to...watch the sun rise. I was going to make it a part of the Museum Elysium downtown as a tribute to him. In retrospect I think he would want...you... to have it."

Tabetha took the ring and on examination recognized the gem arrangement instantly, even though she was sure she had never seen it before; playing host to the Founder was strange. It had obvious benefits, of course, but the experience itself was strange. She put the ring on her right middle finger- the only one it would fit – and felt a slight tingle when she did. Normally such a sensation would make her wary, but in this case she knew it was completely normal.

"That's very thoughtful of you, Velvet." She said. "Thank you. It means a lot."

"You're welcome." VV purred. There was a moment of awkward silence; just long enough for Tabetha to wonder if maybe VV was pondering trying to seduce her while her boy toy Xavier was off to Washington State on some important matter or another. "Well... I hate to love and leave you, but I do have a busy night ahead of me. Thank you again for your time. I appreciate it...very much."

"Not a problem at all Velvet." Tabetha replied, standing up. "I'm glad we had a chance to have this heart to heart; just a couple of the girls getting together. It was good."

They said their goodbyes and Tabetha went down the steps and back into main area of the bar. Kaila was just leaving Cameron's table, and Cameron was about one step away from drooling all over himself. He would have to control that nonsense if he wanted to keep his position of Seneschal much longer.


	5. Chapter 5

Her body safely in what was now her study, Tabetha had a flash in her mind's eye of Asylum; she saw the elevator leading up to the suite shared by Prince Therese and her sister. As she had not deliberately projected there, she reasoned the Founder was showing her something; that could only mean that she was seeing what Marko was seeing, if only for a moment. She tried to go back to that perspective; to follower the Founder back into the mind of the Malkavian, and quickly realized this effort was folly.

 _You're not allowed!_

 _Get back, Tabby Cat!_

 _Leave now!_

 _Getoutgetoutgetoutgetout GET OUT!_

What seemed like at least a hundred different voices greeted her with no small amount of outright hostility; a hundred wills began to push her away, making it vocally clear she was not welcome. Some even demanded she take the 'Bad Voice' with her; she presumed that was the Founder they meant. Apparently He wasn't welcome, either, but for some reason they couldn't quite banish Him. As she was pushed (more shoved) away, she noted that being in Marko's consciousness was different than the last time; this time is more like being in a small, crowded room with no windows and no clearly marked doorway. Once out, the last thing she saw before returning to her senses was a perfect cube that looked to be made of a mixture of black stone and glass. Beyond the box, she could hear a multitude of voices chattering and babbling in multiple languages; some of them completely nonsense as far she could tell...

She was back in the Chantry. She was in her own head and alone in the study. Fixing herself a drink from the Chantry reserve, she pondered a few things: Was the space filled with voices flowing around like almost random tides of water the Network as Marko called it in his thoughts? If so, why was his mind a box in that flow, and why was it suspended in one place? It was like he was being quarantined or something. If that was the case, then the hundred or dozen or however many it was in that box with him were likely also quarantined. The next question was why? Was it because of the Founder? Did they regard Him as a virus? Was the quarantine box an attempt to keep him out of the rest of the Network, if that's what she saw? How dare they block Him? Next she wondered if there was a way to break the box.

But that was a riddle for another time. There was a more immediate thing that should be addressed; what was it that the Malkavian was up to, anyway? What did the Founder want her to see? She guessed that the box was only part of the answer to that question; she presumed the more practical factor, meaning the fact that she should probably keep tabs on what Marko was doing should be a priority. She needed to be sure that he was not attempting to thwart the Plan.

She finished her drink and took a seat; the chair that Strauss often seemed to favor. Up until tonight she always found that particular chair rather garish and out of place in this study; now she was drawn to it, it seemed. She supposed that could be a remnant of Strauss in her after she...well, He, really, ended the former Regent and Harpy. Seated, she readied herself to project into the Astral Plane and journey from there to Asylum in Santa Monica, and eventually into the Prince's suite.

What she saw there was most interesting.

For beginnings, her highness was adamantly against the idea of Bertram Tung being Harpy. She went so far as to throw suspicion on Marko for even suggesting it. That was certainly interesting, but hardly a surprise; Therese and Bertram had been at odds for at least a decade. At best, they at one point had an uneasy truce; and that was really more like a cease fire. It even made sense that Marko would be suspicious for mentioning it- in a Therese kind of way. It was also amusing to think that it was abundantly clear through the course of the conversation that no argument that even Cameron could present would change her mind. The fact that it was Cameron's idea in the first place served to add to her paranoia. All this was very good news. What was even better was that Marko was playing the game in accordance to the Plan whether he meant to or not; he pointed out that just because an offer is made, it doesn't mean the offer needs to be accepted. _Well played Malkavian, well played indeed._

But that wasn't even the best part yet. Through the course of the conversation she was watching, Therese was sitting at the vanity on her side of the suite; fixing her hair and makeup. More than that, evidently Jeanette was in the conversation, too, but she wasn't in the room at all that Tabetha could see. Her voice could be heard, as if right beside Marko, but not seen. At first Tabetha thought she might be obfuscated, but then she watched on as slowly but surely Therese was quite apparently redoing her makeup and hair to match that of her twin sister. As she was doing this, she was gradually being convinced that Bertram could and would be convinced that rejecting the offer of Harpy was in his best interest. Jeanette would be able to use her leash on the Sewer Rat to get him to turn down the office of Harpy, as if such a move would cause more trouble for Therese than he could ever cause in office. Therese requested the lurid details of that nature of that leash be left out of the discussion, much to Tabetha's relief.

Then the best part of all took place; her makeup and hair done, Jeanette bid her reflection – calling it her dear sister – to sleep well as she spun the chair, and leaped into Marko's arms. Tabetha had a pretty good idea where this was going, and she had all the information she needed plus a big extra. She left the two Malkavians to play whatever perverse love game they had in their twisted minds and made haste back to her body in the Chantry study.

In retrospect it should have been obvious. She would worry about self recrimination later, however; it appeared like almost everyone was fooled by Therese's little secret anyway. It was hiding right in front everyone and nobody seemed to notice. That was, of course, presuming that Therese was indeed the dominant of the two identities and Jeanette was the alternate. That was the question to ask here; after all, it appeared as if Therese was completely unaware of what she was doing as she switched. One or the other identity was a talented ventriloquist; that was apparent. There was something about Jeanette's behavior that told Tabetha that _she was aware_ of what was going on. If that were the case, could she control the switches? If she could that would be a huge problem for everyone. She could just as easily block the prince of the city indefinitely.

 ** _Tell me child; would that necessarily be a bad thing?_**

Tabetha smiled. When she really thought it through, the Founder was right again. The answer to his question was clear: _No it would not. If handled right, quite the opposite in fact..._


	6. Chapter 6

The opportunity to begin this next phase of the Plan had come along much sooner than Tabetha would have anticipated, but this was too good to pass up. For whatever reasons they had, Marko and Jeanette were actually making moves that helped move things along. It could be the Founder had some kind of hold on one or the other; after all, it was Him that brought this new truth to her attention.

For some time now, she had been doing all she could avoid the Malkavian; to monitor his movements from a distance. It was apparent to her now that she might be better off to reach out to him. Without even knowing it, it seemed he was part of this. So far, all was turning out precisely as it was supposed to; albeit more swiftly than she thought it would. Tabetha was preparing for a long game, and it still might be, just not quite as long as she presumed it would be. One element of the Plan was to make a clear discernment about the relationship of the Vooreman sisters, and see if it was possible to use Jeanette to force Therese to abdicate her Praxis seat in favor of someone more predictable; Cameron if there was nobody else, but the ideal candidate so far was Velvet. She had seniority over Cameron, so the Kindred would accept her bid more readily. It was true she was reluctant to make calls that involved bloodshed, which was an unfortunate necessity in their world, but that was an easy enough obstacle to overcome. Besides, it would be better to exhaust all other options before resorting to violence anyway; Velvet was right about that. Violence attracts attention, and attention means questions getting asked, and at times the kinds of questions that would get asked risked the Masquerade. With someone like Velvet Velour in the Praxis Seat, the Kindred could be sure that violence would be the last resort, not the norm. With Therese, one could never be sure; so far she has held it together, but they all should ask how long that would last.

Knowing what she knew now about Jeanette and Therese, the option of using one twin to remove the other seemed a lot more viable; especially if what appeared to be the case was true. If Jeanette was the one controlling who had use of their shred body and when, it was simply a matter of convincing her to take full custody. The real trick was trying to figure out the best way to go about that. To do that, Tabetha could at present only really think of one way.

She made her way upstairs to her quarters, selected an outfit; the leather body suit would do nicely, she believed – and made a quick wardrobe change. She followed this up with a slight touch-up on her makeup to create a hint of come-hither. Ideally, she was trying for a look that would make her an irresistible lure for Jeanette. If she could get Jeanette all to herself for awhile, that would be perfect.

Based on what she saw, Tabetha deduced that Jeanette and Marko were likely to go and see Bertram and talk him into rejecting the offer of the Harpy office. Given the playful mood Jeanette was in, Tabetha was willing to guess they would be returning to Asylum. If she was going to find a way to appeal to the Vooreman she needed to be up front full time, that was the place to start, and right about now was the time.

Tabetha stepped out of the cab in front of Asylum, and found a line up just starting to extend around the block. As much as she loved to take flight, it was apparently wise of her not to; the crowd waiting to get inside might have spotted her, and that would prove problematic. She didn't much need to worry about getting in, though. The line up was formidable, but there was also an alternate entrance designated for VIP guests. Forcing herself to smile, she approached the beefy man standing with his arms crossed over his muscular chest on the other side of the VIP rope.

"Hold on there, Catwoman," the bouncer said, holding a hand up to halt her progress. "This entrance is for members only; you'll have to wait in line like everybody else."

Tabetha activated her Dominate. " _I am a member."_ She told him. " _My name is right there on the list, and you recognize me."_

The bouncer blinked, confused. He glanced at a notebook he kept in his breast pocket; evidently ignoring the fact she didn't give him a name. "I'm sorry; your name is right here on the list! I almost didn't recognize you. How could that have happened?"

This one was slightly stronger willed than she thought; not that that mattered. " _It must be the new outfit."_ She said.

"Is that a new outfit?"

"Yes," she replied, smiling.

"That must be it," the bouncer decided. "It look really good on you; very form fitting." He grinned sheepishly as he unclipped the rope and let her pass. "Have a good evening!" he greeted as she passed by.

"Oh, I will," she giggled like a girl who's ready to party. Next was the cover charge booth. This she knew was an even easier obstacle; she barely even glanced at the attendant, saying " _I have a line of credit here."_ And she breezed past with no objection.

The place was packed with revellers. For those so inclined, feeding in here would be all too easy. Now that she officially inside the property, she would have to be extremely careful about her use of any disciplines; this was Elysium, after all, and such things are verboten here. Unfortunately that included the use of Auspex; she would have to attempt to determine if Jeanette was here the old fashioned way. First she worked her way to the bar. Much to her chagrin, she really had no recourse but to wait her turn. Happily enough there two tenders on the bar tonight; one was new face- a woman that Tabetha didn't know, and the other was the same tattooed bald behemoth of a man that was here when she was first embraced. She couldn't remember his name and decided it wasn't important. Both of them were quite efficient at their, job, but the man was quicker. It could be experience and familiarity with the premises and clientele, or, since he seemed not to have aged much at all, it was possible he was a ghoul. By the time it got to be her turn, she got the man.

"What can I get you, sweetcakes?" he asked gruffly. "Make it quick, I got a line building up behind you."

"I'm looking for Jeanette." She replied.

"Is that so?" he leaned into her over the bar. "What do you want with her?"

"I'm an old friend, and I wanted to make sure she knew I was in her fine Club."

The bartender guffawed and mumbled something to the effect of her having a funny idea of what a fine Club was, and something about being polite to her friends. "If she's not on the dance floor, then she's probably in her office with that pet of hers." He said. "Now either order a drink or get of line, will you?"

Giving the bartender a look that suggested she might just inform her friend how rude he just was to her, Tabetha got out of line. Manners aside, the man was actually very helpful; now she knew that Jeanette was in the building at least. Not only that, but her search was down to two locations. Opting to try the dance floor first, she weaved her way through the throng of flesh towards the stairs that led up to the balcony where she should be able to see the floor and scan it for her quarry.

Much to her delight, there was no real need for much scanning; it seemed that a large number of those on the dance floor were making space for her and Marko as they made up new and completely ridiculous dance steps as the guests watched and attempted to mimic this new dance to some new electronic sequences that many of the kine seemed to describe as 'music' these days. Tabetha supposed this genre of sound existed while she was a mortal only a decade or so ago, but she didn't much care for it then, either. Having found who she was looking for, it was now only a matter of waiting for the right moment to make her approach. During her wait, she scanned the Club anyway; just to see if there might be the wrong people watching. Obviously Therese wouldn't be; not if Jeanette was on the floor, but there was a chance that someone like that creep Vandal might be. Another one she made a point to watch for was Mercurio; last she heard he generally avoided this place, but he did live in Santa Monica so Cameron might have him look in once in awhile. Neither of them was present, but Knox Harrington was amongst those trying to follow suit with Marko and Jeanette. In her estimation, the Nosferatu ghoul was not much of a threat; not if Bertram was already convinced to decline. Besides, the Nosferatu were not known to be especially loyal to Therese Vooreman. For the most part she was watching for Malkavians and Ventrue; which of course meant being careful with the Nosferatu after all, since they seemed to be in bed with the Ventrue; though maybe not for long...

It occurred to her she might be over thinking all of this. After all, at this point all she was doing was attempting to befriend the Prince's sister. Nobody could fault her for that; in fact several Kindred might believe this was a case of the Tremere Primogen attempting to come out of her shell and welcome the effort. The fact she was very recently speaking to the Keeper of Elysium might even add to that theory. Then again, there would be those who would regard her actions as suspicious no matter what she did; the Tremere had a stigma attached to them that made it difficult for others to trust them.

As one sequence that Tabetha supposed was meant to be a song gave way to another, the two Malkavians gave a flourishing bow; to which the crowd gathered round and cheered. Marko looked around briefly, and paused when his eyes got about halfway through following the balcony. Tabetha froze in place; certain he spotted her. As much as she wanted to retreat back into the crowd to get out of his gaze, she knew that would not only be pointless, but counterproductive at this point. If she was spotted, trying to escape now would belie ulterior motives. All she could do now was stay put and hope his Network was silent. As far as she knew, Marko was still loyal to Therese. She hoped to change that, but first she had to gain the trust of the other 'twin'.

Even from the distance she was at, she could see that a glazed over, almost completely vacant look came over his eyes; as if he was lost in some deep or twisted thought that probably would only make sense to him. Finally he smiled. He leaned in and said something in Jeanette's ear, kissed her passionately, and made a B-Line for the exit. For a moment, Jeanette stood there in the middle of the dance floor, looking more than a little stunned and confused before shrugging in her trademark devil-may-care manner and turning to face her reflection in one of the mirrored walls in the lobby and resumed her dancing.

 ** _Now is your chance, child! Go now!_**

 _I know, Founder. I'm going._

She deftly cut her way through the crowd and made her way down the stairs and onto the dance floor to where Jeanette was.

Jeanette saw her in the mirror and incorporated a turn to face her into the dance routine she was clearly making up as she went.

"What do we have here?" she asked, not breaking her stride for even a single beat. "A little Tabby Cat looking for a ball of string to play with? Or maybe it seeks a kitten. Well, I'm sorry, Tabby-Cat, but you just missed him."

Tabetha tried to match her steps as best as she could manage. "Not at all, Jeanette" she replied. "I was actually looking for you."

"So the new wizard queen came out of her magical house of cards to see me?" Jeanette inquired with a playful, almost flirtatious tone. "It's not often she comes out to play, I was beginning to think she only enjoyed solitaire. I have to know, which wall did you see my name on to encourage you to make me your playmate?"

Much to her chagrin, Tabetha felt something funny going on in her head; it was a sensation that reminded her of the one time she tried cannabis and quickly decided it was not for her. Her first thought was that the Malkavian was doing something to her, and that may well have been the case – Elysium rules or no Elysium rules. She could report it later, but the chances she would be believed over the 'sister' of the Prince, in her own Club, were likely very slim- that Tremere stigma again. Besides, such an action would only serve to thwart her intentions. Also, whatever was happening seemed harmless enough; and it was actually helping her manage to master Jeanette's impromptu dance.

"I've always been curious about you, Jeanette." Tabetha replied; it was actually true enough, she only hoped that Jeanette would read the context one way and not the other. "Thing is, I'm really very shy about this kind of thing, and was hoping for a chance to get you all to myself –if only for a little while."

Jeanette giggled. "How adorable" she said. "The Tabby Cat is a shy, lost little girl looking for a warm lap to curl up in. Is she hoping I'll whisper sweet somethings in her ear while she's in my lap?"

"You can tell me whatever you wish." She said, trying to sound flirtatious; to her own ears it sounded awkward.

Jeanette laughed and clapped with delight. "Come with me, shy little Tabby-Cat," she smiled, grabbing Tabetha's hand and pulled her off the floor and towards the elevator that would take them to the room upstairs which she 'shared with her sister'.

At the elevator, Tabetha pulled back; not with much resistance, just enough to make her reluctance look convincing. "Are you sure it's safe up there?" she asked, adding a slight tremor to her voice. "What if your sister walks in on us?"

The elevator door opened. Jeanette laughed again and pulled Tabetha gently into the car with her. "Relax, Tabby-Cat. Therese won't come anywhere near the room tonight. Come on, shy little girl; I'll make you purr in ways you never imagined."


	7. Chapter 7

By the time Tabetha got back to the Chantry after her friendly visit with Jeanette, The Prince had sent a message calling for a Gathering of top priority. That night, the Tremere smiled thinly. It appeared that her theory was correct; Jeanette was the one in control of which of the Vooreman sisters had visible occupation of their shared body. Evidence pointed towards it; clearly Jeanette knew that Therese would have to call the Gathering in regards to filling the now vacant office of Harpy, and waited until she was well and away before giving Therese her chance to do that. This was perfect; just perfect. She was well on her way to befriending the dominant personality, and then it would be a simple matter of persuading Jeanette to take control of their body full time. She might even be able to pull her away from Marko.

That was last night. Now, in her quarters, Tabetha prepared herself for the Gathering. The way things were looking, everything was going right; Bertram would refuse the offer to be Harpy; and Therese would act offended in order to convince Bertram he was sticking it to her. This should throw Cameron off his game just enough that he'll start making mistakes out of frustration. The only shade of uncertainty was with VV; it was unknown if she would step up to the task. In the end it wouldn't really matter, though; even if she didn't, Tabetha was in a good place to take on the role of Seneschal once Therese mysteriously 'disappeared' and the role of Prince needed filling. That was where the real power in any given city was; The Prince certainly had the authority, but the Seneschal had the power, if she knew how to wield it. Under the mentorship of the Founder himself, Tabetha had such knowledge. There was one other factor to take into account, of course; the Nosferatu. Even with Bertram under such firm control, there was the rest of the Clan, and they had no small talent for meddling and spoiling even the best laid plans. In this damned city, Cameron Hastings had forged a very strong alliance between his own Clan and the Clan of the Hidden Ones. Already, the Seneschal was likely to know about the time she was making with the younger of the Vooreman sisters, as at least one of the Sewer Rat ghouls was observing her at the Asylum. As she was leaving, she caught a whiff of bleach in the air. See couldn't see Ajax; his obfuscate was too advanced for that; but that scent was unmistakable.

The fact that Ajax was onto her was a bigger problem than most might realize. True, he was not able to get into the Chantry, but then he didn't really have to. She would have to come out. She knew already that the Nosferatu would be on her like a wet t-shirt the second she stepped out of safe confines of her home. Even if he wasn't personally around, he would have somebody on hand as a placeholder. Not that that she would let that stop her, of course; in fact, with Bertram throwing away his opportunity to be Harpy all but done and in the books, there was actually very little he and Imalia could do to stop her or save Cameron's position. Not even with this so-called wunderkind from wherever they have.

Tabetha topped her formal dress off with a smart-looking hat and put matching heels. She decided she might as well look her very best for the Prince's little game. She even made a point to ensure the entire outfit she chose tonight was a DeVries. Ready, she stepped out of the Chantry and found a cab to hail down, making note of any sign of any possible Nosferatu agents in her vicinity. She would also have to remember to make a point to watch even more closely as the cab neared Chinatown; where there would not only be Nosferatu crawling in literally alley and corner, but likely a Ventrue in just about every place of business.

Entering Chinatown, the use of Auspex told her that she was right; in a manner of speaking. Though there were no Kindred outside that were not clearly on their way to the Garden, plenty of ghouls and agents were around. She supposed that really came as no surprise; the Prince did say everyone was to show up. As she set to enter the Garden, she anticipated it to be a crowded night. Though she would be quiet about it, she would revel in the fact that everyone would be witness to her first steps in her rise to real power.


	8. Chapter 8

Using her heightened senses, Tabetha listened in once that Toreador stripper approached Cameron. She maintained her ever so slight smile while she listened to the Ventrue belly-ache and his dancer stroke his sense of pride. Predictably enough, Cameron got all starry-eyed and moony over her. Tabetha maintained her smile, but it went from one of pleasure to one of contempt. The mighty Seneschal was making this all too easy.

Losing interest in their puppy-talk, she diverted her attention to Ajax and the wunderkind. In her consciousness, she could feel the Founder keep his attention of the Ventrue and his whore. It took her a moment to actually locate the Nosferatu in the shadows. Finding them, she focused her senses, hoping to discern if Ajax had shared his knowledge of her tryst with Jeanette with anyone outside of his Clan; of particular concern was how much Cameron might know.

"...sign of diablerie?" The Wunderkind was saying.

That could be a problem. The Nosferatu were excellent at what they did; learning things they shouldn't know. That said, as far she knew they were not gifted with the abilities of Auspex. Surely he couldn't be talking about what it sounded like he was talking about.

"What exactly are you trying to say, Walker?" Ajax challenged stiffly.

"I'm saying that black veins in an aura are a sign of diablerie." Walker replied. "I'm saying that the witch has black veins in her aura."

"It must be a mistake." Ajax stated. "There's no way Tabetha has gone Sabbat."

"A lick doesn't need to be Sabbat to commit a crime like that."

"You know what I mean. You must be making a mistake. I know Tabetha; she ain't no diablerist."

"No mistakes made here, Ajax." Walker insisted. "The sign is there."

"Then there must be some other explanation." Ajax continued to defend her.

"Maybe," Walker said reluctantly, "or maybe not."

"For all we know that might not even be the real Tabetha." Ajax said, starting to sound desperate. "You said so yourself."

Tabetha was actually rather touched by his loyalty; it would not be soon forgotten, however misguided it was. Although, his comment did cause her some concern; could the Nosferatu be catching on to her guest? Or were they talking about something else entirely?

"Don't say that out in public like that!" Walker hissed. "That kind of talk could blow the entire investigation!"

Ajax was silent for a moment. Finally, he spoke. "So what's our next move?" he asked.

After giving it a few seconds of thought, the one Tabetha knew only as Walker actually managed to lower his voice even deeper than it already was; almost to the point where it was inaudible. "You stay on the Tremere. Try to learn what her exact business with..." he hesitated, as if trying to remember a name. "...with Jeanette was last night. If it's any consolation, this sign I caught in her moves her lower on the list of suspects. I'm going to keep tabs on the Seneschal and his girlfriend."

So Ajax was going to continue to shadow her. That was fine. Although she was intending on revisiting the 'twin' tonight, that could wait a little while. In fact, it might serve well if she held off. She wouldn't want to seem too eager; that might prompt Jeanette to get bored of her. As for the apparent scrutiny she was now under, all she really had to do was convince Ajax that her interest in Jeanette is exactly what it appears to be. In the meantime, she was sure there was a ritual that could hide the signs of diablerie.

 ** _There is indeed, childe._**

She had no doubt the Founder could and would give her strength to master such a ritual. Then it really would appear as if this Walker individual is fallible, after all. After that was sorted out, the next priority would have to be to make sure Velvet won her bid; though that was already a near certainty. Prince Therese was not so far gone as to allow Cameron to flood her Court with Ventrue officers.

 ** _His lover is his spy. Beware of her, childe._**

How many times has the Founder warned her of that raven-haired, green-eyed tramp of Cameron's? More than one, Tabetha was sure of that. In fact, although she was dreading to think it, she was sure that the Founder had a certain terror of her; she could almost _feel_ his presence recoil at the mention of her.

 ** _She is much more than she seems childe. She is of a darkness even I do not comprehend. You will do well to stay away. I will say no more._**

Tabetha decided it was best to leave it at that. As the meeting place was nearly vacated, Tabetha turned and left; heading towards the car that Rutger was driving. Getting to the car, he asked where she wished to go, and she told him to take her back to the Chantry as she sat in the car.

Rutger started the car and drove away. Tabetha glanced out the window and spotted Marko entering a small shop on the corner of one of the streets. At first she thought nothing of it; but then it occurred to her _which_ shop it was. It was the shop run by that dusty sounding man; Ox, his name was. That was the shop she procured the Bone of Truth from in exchange for that enchanted mirror. What business did the Malkavian have there? She was about to have Rutger turn around so she could observe, but then she remembered the scrutiny the Nosferatu had her under as of late. She had to make her activities appear completely normal. Watching Marko when she was evidently having affair with his lover – who happens to the Prince's alter-ego and possibly dominant personality – would not be exactly normal behavior. _If only I could be in two places at once and retain consciousness in both..._

That was when it occurred to her. She _could_ do _exactly_ that! She could easily astrally project to observe what Marko was up to, and let the Founder move her body around while she was away. To everyone outside of the arrangement, it would at least appear normal; especially if the Tremere Primogen and Regent went recluse for the rest of the night.

Tabetha Toussaint removed her astral form from her body into the back seat beside her, and sat there for a moment to make sure that Rutger didn't sense anything was amiss. Since her body did not even waver, let alone slump over as if she was asleep, everything appeared as it should.

"May I ask you something, Regent?" Rutger asked from the driver's seat.

 **"Of course you may, Rutger."** The Founder replied on her behalf. Tabetha cringed. It was still her voice, but it sounded as if she was talking under water. She started to return to her body in the hopes that Rutger would think he only imagined the difference once she continued the conversation.

"Who are we as a Clan in support of to become the next Harpy? Since I am still assigned to be assistant Harpy, I think it right I should know where we stand. For the record I will stand by whatever choice you make without question."

Tabetha relented. Apparently Rutger did not notice anything different.

 **"House and Clan Tremere will abide by any decision the Prince makes. Should her highness seek our council or recommendation, we shall advocate in favor of the Keeper. She is older and more experienced, and has already proven to be up to the task of handling a great deal more responsibility than the Ventrue Primogen."** The Founder answered.

Rutger sighed with what Tabetha thought was relief. "That's good," he said. "If I may be direct, Regent, I don't know if I much like the idea of the Ventrue having too much power or authority in the Court."

The Founder formed a smile on her face. **"You will make a fine officer one night, Rutger. Your discernment is an asset."** He said.

Satisfied that things were as stable here as they could be; but also getting a little creeped out at seeing her body work without her being inside it, Tabetha left the vehicle to catch up with Marko.


	9. Chapter 9

Tabetha couldn't quite find the right way to describe how she felt. En route to returning to her body, she started to process all she saw while watching Marko.

First he talked to Ox in his shop. Ox spun some parable about a farmer; a kind of riddle, really. Not that it was a particularly difficult one, but she was mildly impressed that Marko solved it in the manner he did; it was as if Ox had spoken plainly to him. That fact made her wonder if perhaps Ox was also Malkavian. No, he wasn't. Tabetha wasn't sure what Ox was, but he wasn't Kindred and sure was not human. He wasn't Kuei-Jin either; but then perhaps there are other variations of those kinds of creatures in the Orient, much as there are in the West. In any case, Mr. Ox wanted him to be what he called a 'Bad Luck Farmer'; to do that, Marko had to plant an item cursed to bring bad luck to a specific person at the Fu Syndicate building. Marko left Ox's shop and made his way towards his target. At around the same time, none other than Ajax should creep out of the alley right behind the shop. He was obfuscated, of course, but his bleach-like stench is always a dead giveaway. She was a little surprised that Marko seemed oblivious to it. The only way she could explain it was that the Malkavian had eschewed the habit of respiration whenever mortals were not present.

At the Fu Syndicate, Marko tarried around the front for some reason, raked some hedges and collected cigarette butts; likely to avoid any undue suspicion from mortals who might see him there. Then he went around back, fed on a janitor and went inside. Meanwhile, Ajax ducked away and contacted somebody- most likely either the wunderkind or Imalia – and eventually Barabbas showed up. Barabbas indicated, speaking in Nadsat, that he knew a better way into the building. Then Ajax left; presumably downtown, possibly to try and spy on her based on what she overheard him and the wunderkind talking about.

She followed Marko in and witnessed him placing an object in a locker, then get into a fight with a female samurai. She fought well, but the Malkavian had more tricks up his sleeve than she could handle. Their battle ended with her death, and Marko turning on the showers they were in to wash the blood down the drain. _How could he be so wasteful? Madness is no excuse!_ He then went back to the janitor, whispered something in his ear, and left him gibbering like a lunatic.

Once back with Ox, Marko reported the seed was planted and apparently took root. It turned out the janitor was Ox's target, and was now probably going to be blamed for the death of the samurai. Ox was elated. He gave Marko a small item wrapped in cloth. Even before they discussed what it was, Tabetha knew; it was the same mirror she retrieved for him from that ditz daughter of that restaurant owner. It was the soul-stealing mirror.

It didn't take a genius level IQ to figure out what Marko was planning to do with that. Obviously he was going to try to lure the Founder into him so he could look into the mirror and trap the Founder behind the glass. This was his attempt at an exorcism. Theoretically, it could work.

Even before her embrace, emotions were difficult for Tabetha to define and describe. It wasn't that she didn't feel them; it was more like she had a hard time keeping them apart or responding to stimuli appropriately. Even at a very young age she found it easier to disengage altogether and focus exclusively on empirical evidence. Academically she excelled; she was tested and found to have an IQ of 173. She was jumped ahead in school and still often topped all her classes. Of course, she didn't have many friends; but she had her books and labs. Though she never really took much interest in religion or theology, she did find a great fascination in the occult and things like alchemy and what is often thought of as 'magic' or 'sorcery'. These were things she thought of more like primitive – or more accurately archaic – science. Though her family was well-heeled, she didn't really need their money to get into an excellent university in New York; her scholarships practically let her choose.

It was on Campus that she first encountered Tyler DeFaulte. He was a jock football player that seemed bound and determined to 'break her out of her shell'. He seemed convinced that she fancied him. At first she thought he was an arrogant buffoon, but later came to see that he really meant well by her. He was from a very poor part of the City, but immensely popular; partly due to his talents on the field, but largely due to his drive to live as fully as possible. On campus, they ended up being civil with each other. He never did quite crack her shell.

On campus, she delved deeper into her occult studies, and found something of a mentor on line From Los Angeles. At the time, she didn't think anything of the fact he only seemed available during the night on Pacific time; she just presumed that kind of went with the territory of taking interest in the unknown and some would think unknowable. The name he gave her was Perniculus De Faustus, and he was real fount of knowledge. She started spending more and more time with him on the internet, and eventually he invited her to come visit him in LA. She had on off semester coming up, so she agreed to go meet him. She never got back to New York; that was ten years ago...

The rest was well documented in Clan and Kindred history. Perniculus, her sire, was one of many slaughtered by Prince LaCroix that night. Among those who also lost their sire was none other than Tyler DeFaulte, who was being scouted for an NFL contract. It was that night she met the others in what is known by many as the 'Super Seven', of which of course both Marko and Ajax were part.

As a member of House and Clan Tremere, she adjusted quite quickly. It was really like school to her, an environment she knew how to thrive in. She was even encouraged to continue to detach from emotions as a means of staving off the beast. At least, that is what her former mentor Strauss told her.

Now her emotions were all muddled and bubbling to the surface all at once. She was glad to now know what Marko was up to. Angered that Ox would so easily sell her out. Worried that Marko's plan could work. Terrified at the implications of the investigation that Ajax and the wunderkind were doing. Amused at how reluctant Ajax was to go through with the investigation. Elated at how well her plans regarding Velvet and Jeanette were going. Oddly aroused at the idea of pursuing Jeanette. All of these feelings, or ideas of feelings were overshadowed by one thing; the prospect of the kind of absolute power she has now had access to through the Founder. Marko posed a very real threat to that. Now she had to get back to her body and decide the best way to deal with him. That was her first priority. Her second priority would be the damned Nosferatu.

Back in her body, she needed time to sort everything out. She needed a chance to strategize. As far as Marko was concerned, the best she could think of was avoidance for the time being. Her biggest concern was the Founder; if He decided to take over Marko, there was no telling for sure if His control would be complete.

 ** _I am aware of the perils of the minds of Malkav, child. We must retrieve this mirror you speak of._**

"Yes, Founder; I know." Tabetha said in the empty room of the elaborate parlor. She found speaking was helpful in keeping the thoughts of the Founder and her own separate. "We'll have to work out a plan to locate it first. I have a few ideas where he might hide it."

 ** _That's very good. It's a start. We shall work out a means to locate and retrieve based on what you know already._**

"What about the Nosferatu, Founder?" She asked. "It appears one of them can see signs in auras and can detect diablerie. How do we silence them?"

 ** _They are easy enough to buy off, Child. You will learn this in time. Even if they cannot be, there are ways in Camarilla Law to circumvent anything. Now, to obtain this mirror; you must listen very carefully, child. This will be a delicate operation._**

Tabetha Toussaint, neonate yet Regent and Primogen of the Los Angeles Chantry of House and Clan Tremere; evidently chosen and favored by the Clan Founder Himself, smiled thinly as the Founder described his plan to her. Surging with such power, she was certain she could not fail.


	10. Chapter 10

The sun had passed across the horizon twice since the Gathering; which was also the night of Tyler's very messy extraction plan for Damsel and the night Tabetha observed Marko obtaining from Mr. Ox the mirror she once returned to him in exchange for the bone required to detect lies.

To be fair, Xavier did manage to salvage some good out the mess Tyler, Fenris, and Ajax had made; his workings within the media not only covered any Masquerade breeches, but also put considerable pressure on the government to pull funding from their 'anti-terror' project in downtown Los Angeles. The public seemed quite convinced that this was in fact a secret police force intended to initiate a state of Martial Law. Xavier even managed to put together a decent protest group, with demonstrators and the whole lot. According to the news, these demonstrations were growing quite healthily; word also had it that he convinced the fill in house band at his club to plug for the movement in their shows. There were also demonstrations in Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, and San Francisco. Even the Russians were considering pulling out of this endeavor, evidently. It was early yet to say for certain, but it was starting to look like Brightstone might have to back off; at least for now.

Nothing yet had come of the wunderkind and his possible detection of diablerie signs on her. Tabetha wasn't sure how to process that; it struck her unlikely that any report was filed, since neither Prince Therese nor Sheriff Damsel had come for her. She had yet to be approached by any Nosferatu on the subject; or at all lately. While she wanted to be relieved about that, she found she was strangely distressed. Why were they keeping quiet? Was it that they lacked proof, or were they biding their time?

On a more positive note, her friendship with VV was developing nicely; the two of them were certainly becoming a little bit better than casual friends. There was definitely a sort of 'girl-talk' rapport building up between them; Velvet believing herself the sophisticated dominant half of their dynamic while Tabetha allowed herself to come off as the bright-eyed neonate who was all too eager to please the Keeper of Elysium and soon to be Harpy of the city. Following the council of the Founder, Tabetha was letting Miss Velour think she was the one playing the upstart Tremere in order to ensure she'd have unwavering support. Miss Velour hadn't exactly said this in so many words, but it was clear to both her and the Founder that Miss Velvet Velour had her eye on the Praxis Seat. Miss Velour was playing a very long game to get there, but that is something to be expected from anyone who plays well. This of course made it all the wiser to stay on good terms with Miss Velour; to walk closely with her on her journey. If she could gain enough confidence, Tabetha reasoned, she could very well set herself up as Seneschal. Let Miss Velour have the authority, the real power was being the one whispering behind the ear of authority.

...why was she referring to Velvet in such formal terms?

It could be the Founder's thought meshing even more deeply with her own, she supposed, but somehow this _felt_ different; it was more like someone else entirely. It was more like Strauss was somehow emoting in her mind. Was this a side effect of what the Founder did through her? Or was this some kind of transference from her relations with Jeanette? She hoped not. The last thing she needed or wanted right now was to lose her faculties. Not even the information she was getting from that Kook was worth it. It helped to know that Therese had already decided that VV was going to be next Harpy as well as Keeper, but she could not afford to lose her mind, no matter how exhilarating Jeanette's company was...

She deliberately set that thought aside. In doing so, she redirected her thinking and plucked up a handbill she found stuffed under the Chantry door yesterday evening. It was an advert for the opening night of a band called Naked Fire at Xavier's Pit. She had received things like this before, as she imagined all the local Kindred did. As always before, the handbill had a black card with the letters VIP embossed on it; the letters were all wrapped in elaborately drawn roses. _How droll..._ Normally she simply discarded these invitations. Most of the time the music and clientele that Xavier typically catered to was not to her taste. This time, however, she had a feeling she should take note. She had no intention of attending, but she might make a very brief appearance; make sure she is seen and then lost in the crowd. Jeanette would probably be there; more importantly, Marko will likely be with her. If Jeanette is at the Pit, then Therese cannot be at home, regardless of what Jeannette says. That meant she could search both her room and Marko's crappy apartment for the mirror.

The delicate part of this operation, of course, is to ensure that neither she nor Marko even have reason to suspect her involvement in the damned thing going missing. Even better, if this was done right the Malkavians won't even realize it's missing at all.

The first step would be to appear as if she is at Xavier's ridiculous concert. She must make certain that enough people see her there that none will question or investigate her testimony in the unlikely event it should come to that. To her it seemed an unnecessary step, but the Founder insisted on being thorough. Unwilling to defy the Founder, Tabetha returned to her quarters and changed her clothes into a leather ensemble; that seemed like it would be appropriate for attending a punk-rock concert in a dive bar on the ass-end of Hollywood. Conveniently enough, the same ensemble is also functional if your intent is to commit potentially larcenous acts. For appearances, she even went so far as to apply a little make-up.

Once ready, she called the Chantry car and gave the driver instructions to take her to the Pit. Getting there was simple enough; traffic was being cooperative for once. Tabetha directed the driver to park around back of the club and wait; she wouldn't be here for very long.

"As you wish, Regent" he driver replied. "If I may be so bold, though, Naked Fire is really very good. The singer is especially enchanting; almost hypnotic, actually. There's quite the following for them; almost cult like."

The Founder came forward for a moment; almost sooner than Tabetha was even aware. " ** _I will be sure to keep that in mind."_** He said. **_"Thank you for the input."_** Slowly the Founder receded as Tabetha stepped out of the car and strode towards the entrance of the Pit.

 ** _Is this singer Kindred already, Child?_**

 _Yes, Founder; he is of the Rose Clan, I believe._

 ** _That is unfortunate. We can always make use of cult leader types._**

 _Perhaps we still can, Founder._ Tabetha offered. _I will grant you that he is quite the Anarch, but that may be a way to control their Movement without compromising the integrity of the House and Clan._

 ** _That is a good thought, Child. We shall go into detail on that soon._**

And then the Founder fell silent. Tabetha approached the front doors to the Pit, presenting her special VIP invitation to get through the members door as the regular ticket holders stood in line.

Once inside, the first person she saw just beyond the front foyer was Fenris; she was standing with arms crossed, looking agitated and bored as always. This was clearly not the place she wanted to be. Tabetha surmised that her presence likely meant that either Therese or Jeanette was somewhere in the building.

"Well, yours is a face I never thought I'd see at one of these deals." The Gangrel commented. "I always figured you to be one those hardcore introvert types that sit at home with her nose in a book and a cat in her lap."

Tabetha grinned thinly. "How cute;" she retorted. "I'm being judged by the quintessential run away turned errand girl." She paused to scan the floor, making a point to ignore the Gangrels' scowl. "So what is the errand of the night? Are you protecting the Prince, or baby-sitting her baby sister?"

Fenris actually laughed. That was a first if there ever was one. "What do you know?" She said in mock surprise. "The big-brain witch-bitch got something dead wrong. I'm here in a purely investigative capacity."

Tabetha responded with a scrutinizing hum. "Let me guess;" she said. "The nature of your investigation is confidential."

Fenris said nothing.

"I'll go one farther." Tabetha went on. "If I don't already know, then I don't need to. You could tell me, but then you'd have to kill me; some kind of action movie bullshit like that."

Fenris said nothing.

The Tremere was impressed; as was the Founder. " **The Prince has chosen her agent well, I see.** " The Founder spoke through her. That was a first; she couldn't recall Him wresting control like that, other than that thing with Strauss. Fortunately, Fenris didn't seem to notice anything amiss. Tabetha turned away from the Gangrel to scan the crowd on the floor more carefully.

She saw Marko almost immediately. Even though she couldn't see Jeanette just yet, if Marko was here chances were good that she was here too. If Jeanette was here, then Therese was bound to be 'otherwise occupied' and therefore 'unavailable'. That was good. It was for her own best interest if she stayed clear of the Malkavian for now; at least until she had the mirror. Next she saw Tyler talking with X at the bar. For all the background noise, she couldn't quite make out what they were saying. There was something about Damsel and ghouls, and then a name was mentioned; Norton. X also brought up a name like Sheila or Kaila, but she missed the context. Tyler seemed happy about whatever the Toreador said. "It's starting to look like a win all around in the long run" Tyler said; his voice tended to carry better than Xavier's, or perhaps Xavier was better at making sure his voice didn't carry.

"Archie and Betty report they've done all they could in Seattle." Tyler had said. "They're heading back now."

From across the Club's floor, Xavier raised a glass and tipped it towards Tabetha. Tabetha raised a hand as a wave of acknowledgement. She didn't mind that Xavier spotted her in his Club; it was really a good thing. That was the real reason she bothered to come here at all; to be seen here so her whereabouts can be accounted for. She noticed Tyler got suddenly quiet. That didn't matter.

Tabetha continued her scan. As unlikely as it seemed, she noted Damsel and Miss Velour talking. It could be that the Sheriff was trying to play nice with whom he figured was going to be the next Harpy as well as Keeper of Elysium. While it was smart politics to curry favor with the one who manages accounts of boons and status, it seemed odd that one as well noted for Anarch tendencies like Damsel would play any kind of politics. It seemed unlikely that Damsel was starting to see the error of her ways. Glancing over her shoulder at Fenris, the Tremere had an idea that her investigation on behalf of Therese had something to do with Damsel. Next she thought she spotted a motion in the shadows near the lavatories; that was quite possibly the Nosferatu Clan checking in on this event; given it was Hollywood, most like Primogen Imalia herself. Tabetha had to wonder where Ajax and Adam the wunderkind were; and just how much of their speculation- if it was only speculation – they had revealed.

From behind a faux-wall with a legend reading "NAKED FIRE" in letters designed to appear as if made of flames, Cameron's stripper Toreawhore slinked out and across the stage. From there she slithered across the floor to where Xavier and Tyler sat at the bar. Tabetha noted that as she passed people by, they either stared at her wantonly or gave her a wide berth; in some cases both. Even the shadow Tabetha presumed was Imalia by the washrooms flinched back a step. Maybe there was something to what the Founder had said a number times regarding that one. As she approached, Xavier signaled for Tyler to leave them, and the Brujah complied; opting to catch up with Damsel, who was apparently done with VV.

This was her chance. By her count, at least three Kindred had now seen her here; that was probably adequate for cover, but she wanted to be sure. While it was likely Imalia – if that was Imalia – had also spotted her, having the Keeper recall seeing her here seemed like a good idea. She approached Velvet with a warm smile, and made ready with the 'girl-talk' that the Keeper seemed to like so much.

"Look who's here." The Keeper greeted.

"Hi, Keeper Velour," Tabetha replied, taking care add just the right amount of apprehension in her voice; the Tremere found that it seemed to help get what she wanted out of the Toreador if she felt like others were in awe of her.

"You can call me Velvet," the Toreador assured her. "We're friends with a lot in common...especially Max. So...what brings you out tonight?"

"Two things, really," Tabetha answered. "First, I thought it would be good to get out of the Chantry for entertainment. The walls seemed to be closing in on me a little. I'm sure you understand that."

Velvet hummed her agreement.

"Also, even when living in my books, I've heard a great deal about this Norton man; I just had to see for myself if he lives up to his press."

"I'm sure you will not be...disappointed in him." Velvet said. It appeared that the Keeper bought her line. That was very good news.

Deciding to add a little icing on the proverbial cake, Tabetha added; "While I have you, Velvet," she said, "I've heard that you're way ahead in race to replace Max as Harpy. I'd like to be the first to congratulate you."

"Thank you." Velvet replied. "On that note... I'd like to thank you for suggesting I step forward...I like to think it honors Max."

"I have no doubt that it does." The Tremere said. "Well, I'm certain you have a lot to do, I won't keep you. Besides, I want to find a place to get the best view. Enjoy the show."

"You too," Velvet said as Tabetha moved away from her. Satisfied her presence was established, the Tremere casually made her way towards the fire exit near the rear of the building. Her route took her past the faux wall and the backstage area.

Once outside, she quickly found the car she was driven here in and wasted no time getting in.

"You're not staying for the show tonight, Regent?" the driver asked.

"No" she replied flatly.

"Are we going home, then?"

 **"Not yet"** the Founder spoke for her. The idea that He was doing that made her a little uncomfortable, but then it was the Founder of House and Clan; who was she to question him? **"First we go to Santa Monica. There is a Pawn Shop there that I wish to visit."**

"Very well, Regent," the driver said, clearly oblivious that anyone other than the Regent had given him instructions. He pulled out of the rear lot of the Pit and began the drive to Tripp's Pawn Shop in Santa Monica.


	11. Chapter 11

The driver dropped Tabetha off at Tripp's Pawn Shop and then drove to the Asylum with instructions to wait there, watch for Marko, and notify her via text in the event it should look like he was heading home. She already knew that Marko lived in a crappy apartment above the shop; the Malkavian was very sloppy about letting people know where he slept. Now that she was there, it seemed to be only sensible that Marko likely dealt with this Tripp fellow. While it was true that being sensible and being Malkavian often had nothing to do with each other, it was still worth looking in the shop in case he either sold it or hid it somewhere amongst the shop keeper's inventory.

She entered the shop; or rather the Founder entered the shop using her as a vehicle. She was very much in the back seat of this of particular venture. At the far end of the shop, a man she presumed to be Tripp was seated comfortably behind a security cage. While this might be adequate protection in these parts against most mortal threats, it would prove to be of little to no use against her.

"Hey..." the keeper greeted with a slurring drawl. "Are you looking to buy, or sell, or...?" He trailed off, as if he lost his train of thought. He was obviously intoxicated near the point of oblivion. Tabetha could feel the Founder's disdain for and disgust with this putrid excuse of living tissue. She found it rather contemptible herself.

 _At least there's likely no need to alter his memories or alter him in order to have our way_.

 ** _He deserves to be shaken from the earth like so much chaff._**

 _As you will, Master._

 **"For the time being, I am content to browse."**

"No problem, ma'am." Tripp replied. "We have a very nice selection of costume jewellery and accessories right over there if you want." He pointed to one of the aisles.

 **"Thank you, sir; I'll keep that in mind."**

The Founder led them to the aisle that Tripp indicated even as Tripp mumbled some kind of inane thing that was probably some advertisement slogan. He made quick work of scanning the shelves with Auspex for anything that might have mystical propertied to it for further investigation. Then he went about scanning the other shelves; and they found nothing. In fact, Tabetha could not recall the last time she encountered a place as Mundane as this dump. Convinced that the mirror was not hidden amongst the junk in the store front, the Founder led them back to the desk behind the cage. As he approached, he probed into the mind, such as it was, of Tripp and discovered there were several items that he kept behind the cage as they were not 'not exactly legal'. He also saw that he was very selective as to whom he allowed access to these items, and that Marko was indeed one of those within that selection. Once back in front of Tripp, the Founder allowed Tabetha to regain a measure of control, just in case the shop keeper could detect something amiss with her condition in his inebriated state of mind.

"Pardon me," Tabetha said, "but I was hoping to find something in the way of a little home defense; you know how the crime rate has been going up, and how the Los Angeles and Santa Monica Police are not exactly the brightest stars, and a friend of mine suggested you might be able to help me with that. You know Marko, right?"

Tripp groaned. "I told him to keep quiet about that!" He muttered. "Well, he's been a good customer and if he says you're cool, I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. But listen; a lot of these items are not precisely licensed and the trade of them is not exactly legal, so please don't go advertising about them, okay?"

Tabetha mimed a zipper across her lips and crossed her heart.

"Okay!" he exclaimed with a kind of boozy joviality as he opened up a surprisingly cleverly hidden hatch on his side of the desk. "Here's what we have today!"

Only partly feigning interest, she looked over the items. Most of them were weapons, and most of those were firearms and ammunition. She didn't really know guns, but she did see one that she was sure was what she had come to know as the 'Dirty Harry' gun. The mirror wasn't there. So as to not waste the shop keepers' time, she selected Dirty Harry and enough ammunition to load it three times. This was also because, despite her contempt for this airhead, she felt a kind of pity for him. She paid a total of $65 for her purchase, hefted the weapon, said "Do you feel lucky, punk?" in her best attempt at Clint Eastwood.

Tripp laughed. "You must be one of Marko's friends."

Tabetha felt the Founder reassert himself and promptly relented. **"Indeed I am,"** he agreed. Then she could feel him push out with a level of Dominate she would never have even dreamed of fathoming. **"We never met. This exchange never happened. In fact, you must have fallen asleep, because you remember nothing of this night at all."**

"Sure thing," Tripp agreed. "No problem." He absently set the desk back to its original format.

 **"Now sleep; wake well after sunrise."**

Tripp promptly slumped over the desk and fell into a deep, snoring slumber. The Founder turned them around and made for the exit. **_Now we must check the Lunatics' quarters._**

 _I know the way._

It quickly became clear to her that what she knew, He knew. Of course that only made sense; she was hosting Him, after all. Wordlessly he turned the corner and into the alleyway that led to the entrance into the apartments in which Marko dwelt. She managed to stop Him from climbing the stairs so they could take time to check his mailbox; she figured the Malkavian might be silly enough to leave it there- as if to try to hide it in plain sight.

The box was locked; of course. Both Tabetha and the Founder scoffed. It was such a simple mechanism that passed for security in this slum of a building. With a wave of her hand, the Founder clicked the lock open and with another wave the door to the mailbox squeaked open. Inside, there was a bag of vitae, presumably delivered by that ghoul of the Prince's Vandal Carver. Deciding that the fact it was a ghoul's blood was irrelevant, she closed and locked the box back up before continuing up the stairs.

His apartment was also locked, as if that made any difference at all. The lock to the apartment was defeated as easily as the lock to the mailbox. As the Founder carried her body into the filthy suite, Tabetha wondered if perhaps this apartment was red herring; that perhaps the Malkavian slept a lot more actively and literally than any of the Kindred thought or realized. She supposed it was even possible that Marko was making time with both of the 'Twins'; now that would really make him a threat.

 **"All the more reason to eliminate him, child,"** she said aloud, the voice of the Founder in her mouth and her ears. **"Now let us remember why we are here."**

"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty..." Marko's voice called from downstairs. "Hello, Tabby-cat, I'm home!"

Instinctively, Tabetha made for the window, setting to take flight. The Founder held her in place, preventing her from moving a muscle. He then compelled her to turn and face the door; or more accurately astride the door. **"We are not leaving without the item, child."**

"I understand, Master."

"What's this, then?" he called again; this time from the end of the hall. "The door is open! That must mean I have someone passing my tress!"

Tabetha could hear him trotting down the hall. The moment he burst through the open doorway, the Founder caught him in His snare; pinning him to the ceiling.

 **"WHERE IS IT?!"** He demanded.

"But Gramma, what a big, Bad Voice you have." The Malkavian retorted. The Founder slammed him down to the floor, pinning him face down.

 **"Do not play games with me, whelp!"** The Founder said. **"You know what I seek. Surrender it to me, and you might see another night."**

"I SURRENDER!" He cried out with a shrill and desperate shriek. "I SURRENDER! What am I surrendering?"

That was when Tabetha noticed that the Founder was letting up on His snare enough to allow Marko to move a little bit; just enough to start reaching for something stuck in the back waistband of his pants. She tried to warn Him, but He silenced her.

 **"The MIRROR!" he shouted. "HAND IT OVER!"**

"Oh!" the Malkavian said, finally reaching the item hidden behind his back. "You must mean this!" In a flash, he pulled out the mirror, the cracked glass facing her.

"No!" she shouted in a near panic as she realized what was instantly starting to happen; the Founder was being drawn out of her and into the mirror.


End file.
